Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Perfectly Cooked Prawns Sweet and Tender

Tonight we feasted on a delectable pot of West Coast Spot prawns.

Cooked to Perfection and ready to serve

They were a wonderful gift from my sister and her partner. Thanks Jorge and John we really enjoyed our little taste of heaven. Our gratitude is for the prawns and for the instructions on perfect preparation. A few months ago I watched how my sister cooked the prawns and tonight I tried it out for myself. I could write a big long story about my day and what led to this post, but the cook side of me is just so excited to finally know how to cook a very simple prawn to absolute perfection. Our prawns came frozen so it was a quick matter of thawing and cooking.

The only seasoning required was a 1/2 teaspoon of salt added to the water. The prawns are just so good when they are perfectly cooked that they need no additions. I could have made a garlic butter for dipping or a wonderful lime sauce, but I just loved the sweet and savory flavor in total simplicity. How do you like your seafood? Simple or Sauced. You can see how beautiful they are when they are cooked. They turn from a slightly red like brown to a delectable pink. My sister's method is very easy but very precise. Its all in the timing, cooking prawns to a perfect tender sweetness. I started with a pot of water with just a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring your water to a full boil.

Cooked Prawns removed from the pot at the very moment they float to the surface of the boiling water.

While you are waiting for the boil get a bowl of ice water ready to stop the cooking process at the very right moment. Drain the prawns and transfer them to a serving bowl. I have been cooking seafood all of my life, but I have never seen such accurate instructions on obtaining the perfect morsel. The next step is to take your time cooking the prawns. Add only a small handful of your prawns to the water at a time. When you put them in the pot they will sink to the bottom. When they are ready to remove from the water is the moment that they float to the surface of your boiling water. This will only be a few quick moments. Quickly scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon and dip them into the bowl of iced water.

This will chill them quickly and stop the cooking process. When your first handful are all cooked and chilled add the next few to the pot. Part of the secret is to only cook a few at a time, so you can get them in and out of the pot at just the right moment. Do not wait when they float to the top as they will be just right if you get them quickly. This is why you only cook a few at a time. One of the worst things you can do with prawns is overcook them. They get a little chewy and mushy and the sweet tender goodness becomes lost. Honestly there is no need for sauce or dip when they are so perfectly cooked.

Served with a side of fresh green beans, homemade coleslaw and a baked potato

This was a lesson I will treasure as I will never have to eat an overcooked prawn again in my life. That is unless I am out somewhere. So hopefully others will read this and take and try out my sisters technique. Such amazing goodness and no additives, or chemicals. Everything just the way it should be.